In general, an electric heating pad is a pad or other structure having an insulated electric heating element. The heating element may, for example, be heated by resistance via electricity, and may be provided as one or more metallic wires threaded in a serpentine pattern throughout the pad or arranged as a collection of parallel wires. The shape and size of the metallic wires may vary, and in some cases the wires may actually be small metallic threads.
An electric heating pad is typically plugged into a power outlet so that power may be supplied to the heating element, causing the production of heat. In this manner, the heating pad may be used to warm a desired area of the body, for example.
Contemporary heating pads usually include a user control, such as a dial, that permits a user to set the amount of heat output of the heating pad. This feature allows the consumer to set the heating pad to a setting that offers the desired amount of heat for a particular application and in accordance with the comfort level of the individual.
Although present heating pads work well for their intended purpose, a user may forget the setting at which the heating pad is set, and often would like to determine that setting by a quick visual inspection. However, except for the more expensive electronic heating pad controllers, determining the setting may be difficult, especially in the dark.